NBA-SPIDEL, Nigeria Police Agree to Review Tinted Permit Policy Amid Harassment Complaints
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News.

The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) and the Nigeria Police Force have reached an agreement to review the controversial tinted glass permit policy, following widespread complaints from motorists about harassment and indiscriminate enforcement.

The decision was announced by Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN), Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, during an interactive session in Ikeja on Thursday as part of activities ahead of the association’s upcoming Annual Conference in Akwa Ibom.

According to Akahi News, Ananaba stated that the review aims to strike a balance between public interest, citizens’ rights, and national security objectives.

“Following our discussions with senior police officers, we agreed that enforcement of the tinted permit should be suspended while a joint review committee is constituted,” he said.

Enforcement Suspended Pending Review

Prof. Ananaba revealed that the joint review committee, comprising representatives from both NBA-SPIDEL and the Nigeria Police, will examine the legal and security implications of the policy and propose new modalities for its regulation.

He noted that the initiative followed weeks of dialogue between both bodies after growing reports of vehicle impoundments and citizen harassment by officers enforcing the directive on tinted permits.

“SPIDEL’s engagement with the police is not confrontational but aimed at promoting accountability and justice in public administration,” he explained.

Akahi News gathered that the association has also filed a lawsuit against the police over alleged discriminatory enforcement practices, stressing that such legal actions are essential to preserve the rule of law.

“SPIDEL is not a body of activists. Our focus is public interest and development,” Ananaba added.

International Partnership to Strengthen Legal Access

Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Adaobi Egboka, Director of the Africa Initiative at the Vance Centre, New York City Bar, announced that the Centre for International Justice is proposing a partnership with NBA-SPIDEL to expand public interest law and pro bono legal services across Africa.

Egboka explained that the Vance Centre, a non-profit arm of the New York City Bar Association, works globally to advance justice through cross-border legal collaborations, institutional integrity, and human rights advocacy.

“Our proposed partnership with NBA-SPIDEL will help develop a structured pro bono framework, create a database of participating law firms, and establish standards for measuring legal aid contributions,” she said.

She further proposed the establishment of a “Pro Bono Declaration for Africa”, modelled after the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, which commits law firms to dedicate specific hours annually to free legal services for vulnerable groups.

Towards a Stronger Public Interest Framework

Egboka highlighted that the Vance Centre has already launched a Pro Bono Institute in Kenya, in collaboration with universities and local law firms — a model that could be replicated in Nigeria through the NBA-SPIDEL partnership.

“Such initiatives will promote accountability, enhance diversity within the legal profession, and improve access to justice for marginalised populations,” she added.

Akahi News learnt that the upcoming NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference, scheduled for December 1–5, 2025, is expected to focus on the intersection of law, justice, and national policy, bringing together stakeholders to discuss reforms that enhance citizen protection and institutional transparency.

Public Reactions and Implications

Legal experts and civil rights advocates have welcomed the suspension of the tinted permit enforcement, describing it as a progressive move that could restore public confidence in the police.

Observers told Akahi News that the collaboration between the Bar and the Police represents a shift from confrontation to constructive reform, setting a precedent for addressing broader issues of citizen-police relations in Nigeria.

As both institutions move towards reforming the policy, Nigerians are hopeful that the outcome will not only curb harassment and extortion on the roads but also ensure that security enforcement respects constitutional rights and public interest principles.

Akahi News — http://www.akahinews.org